Timed or ineermittehi-operatiire device



A. S. GREENWOOD.

TIMED 0R INTE RMITTENT OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1920.

Patented May 3, 1921 INVENTOR ALEXANDER S. GREENWOOD.

ATTYs.

kit't'ENT OFFICE.

TIMED 0R INTERMITTENT-OPERATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 12, 1920. Serial No. 395,694.

To all whom it may cow/001%.",

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER S. GREEN- WOOD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timed orIntermittent-Operating Devices, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

My inventionhas relationto a device for timing the operation of electricswitches, water cocks, steam valves, and the like, and, while it will befound that my device is equally applicable to any type of a shut-off orvalve, I have described thesame herein as applied to the well-known typeof snap-switch for electric circuits.

As stated, my improved device will be found to be especially adapted foruse in connection with the operation of an electric switch forcontrolling the illumination of store and shop windows, electric signs,and all other locations where it is desired to continue illumination fora definite or predetermined period. It is the custom of manyshop-keepers to illuminate their windows and sometimes portions of theirstores during the evening and part of the night after the closing time,and at stated times a patrolman, watchman or other attendant turnsofl"the lights from a switch outside the store. The human factor of courseenters intothis character of service because the owner must dependentirely upon the reliability and regularity of the attendant who mayfrom some cause fail to travel his route, and thus the lights willremain burning'until the store has been reopened the following morning.7

Mechanical and automatic devices have also been employed for turning offthe switch and many of these involve such alteration of the electricwiring that they fail to meet the requirements and approval of certainmunicipal fire regulations. My device, however, is in the nature of anattachment that is adapted to be coordinated with the typical button orturning knob of an approved snapswitch, and has for one of its objectsthe provision of a structure that may be adjusted andlset at any time,and will automatically rotate the knob or button of the switch to lightthe lamps at a specified time, and later will further rotate the knob orbutton to extinguish the lamps after they have been lit for apredetermined period.

set forth that is simple in construction andeasy to operate or adjust,that is dependable in its operation, and which is economical toconstruct so that it may be manufactured and sold to the user at amoderate price. Also 1t is an object of my invention to provide a deviceof this nature that is made of a mmimum of simple parts and is thereforecapable of being readily installed by unskilled persons without the useof tools and without altering or interfering with the electricalequlpment to which it is attached.

I prefer to accomplish the divers objects of my invention insubstantially the manner hereinafter fully described, and as moreparticularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had'to theaccompanying drawings that form a part of this specification, in which,

Figure 1 is a vertical elevation of my invention attached to an electricsnap-switch. Fig. 2 is a top plan thereof The drawings, are, in a sense,merely diagrammatical for the purpose of illustrating one simpleembodiment of my invention, and by referring thereto it will be seen Ihave employed similar reference characters to designate the same partsthroughout the divers views.

As is well known in most alarm-clocks the winding key for the alarmrotates during the ringing of the alarm which takes place at a definitetime. I have made use of this rotative action of the winding key to turnon the switch to light the lamps.

and coincident with the movement of the minute-hand around theclock-face, and similary l have utilized this action of the minutehandspindle to release the switch operating member to give a second turn tothe switch shaped cap 7, closed at its outer end, is removably mountedand frictionally retained upon the element 6, and extending'laterallyfrom this cap is an arm or lever 8, which Patented May 3, 1921.

Likewise, the minute-hand spindle also rotates slowly may be utilized toadjust the devire to p may be either rigidly secured thereto as shown inFig. 1 or pivotally connected to a lateral projection 9 by a hinge 10,as will be observed in Fig. 2 of the drawings. In both constructionshowever the arm 8 is long enough to extend across the vertical plane ofthe axis of the minute-hand spindle.

I prefer to employ an ordinary alarmclock for operating arm 8, and Ienlarge and extend the alarm-winding spindle 11 a short distance toprovide the same with a plurality of threads 12, as seen in Fig. 2, sothat the lower edge of the arm 8 will ride in the depression or groovebetween two threads thereof and when the spindle 11 rotates during theunwinding of the alarm spring the arm will be moved horizontally to theend of the spindle where it will be freed or released. This releasing ofthe arm 8 permits the outer end thereof to gravitate to the horizontalplane of the minute-hand spindle 13 which I have likewise enlarged andextended axially, as seen in the drawings, and have provided it withthreads 14 for the engagement thereof by the lower edge of arm 8. As theminute-hand spindle 13 rotates once each hour the length of time arm 8remains upon the same is regulated by the number of threads between thecontacting edge of the arm 8 and the outer end of spindle 13. Uponreaching the outer end of the spindle 13 the arm 8 is freed therefromand moves or gravitates to a vertical position, as indicated in dottedlines in the drawings. Divers means mit the lights to remain lighted fordii predetermined periods of time. and I have shown a washer or nut 15threaded upon the spindle 13 and having abeveled outer face 15 to guidethe lower edge of the arm 8 to its proper position upon the threads ofthe minutehand spindle 13. By adjusting the nut or washer longitudinallyupon the spindle 13 the desired number of threads 14 may be leftuncovered and thus permit the arm to remain supported upon the spindle apredetermined number of hours.

In operating the device for controlling store-window and similarillumination, the alarm is set in the usual manner for the hour at whichthe lights are to be turned on and the arm 8 is swung around and placedon the spindle as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Itwill be understood the switch spindle 5 will be rotated by this movementof the arm so that it is ready to snap on the switch, and upon thestarting of the alarm the arm is moved laterally by the threads 12 untilit is freed therefrom at the end of the threads on the spindle whereuponthe arm falls off and rests upon the lower spindle 13, thus turning onthe switch and starting the lights. If it is desired to illuminate thewindow for example from 6:30 p. m. to 10:30 p. m. (four hours) the nutor washer 15 is turned until four threads are left uncovered on spindle13, and the arm will therefore remain upon the latter spindle until theminute-hand has made four circuits of the clock-face whereupon thethreads will free the arm from the outer end of the spindle. It will ofcourse be understood the washer adjustment is made at the same time thealarm is set so that the device needs no further attention. The armhaving been released from the clock spindle will be swung to a verticalposition, and in its travel to the lower position it will turn off theswitch and extinguish the lights at the desired hour. It may be foundnecessary to assist the gravitation of the outer end of the arm 8, andin such e vent I either weight the same or employ a light coiled spring16 one end whereof is connected to the arm intermediate its ends and theopposite end whereof is fixedly secured in any suitable manner.

It may be found desirable to permit the lamps to burn all night or untilthey have been manually extinguished, and in order to permit this beingdone I provide a hollow stub extension 17 projecting from the rear faceof the nut 15, that has a bore slightly greater than the externaldiameter of the threads 1a. Thus, when the device is set the nut 15 isscrewed outwardly toward the outer end of the spindle 13 so that therear face of the nut will be beyond the vertical plane of the outer endof the spindle 11 so that the threads back of the nut are covered by thestub 17, and when the arm 8 falls from the end of spindle 11 its loweredge will rest upon the outer surface of the stub and the nut willprevent the arm being moved farther laterally and consequently nofurther turning of the switch takes place and the lamps remain burninguntil the switch is turned off manually.

While I have herein described a specific manner of carrying out myinvention, it is obvious that modifications thereof may be made withoutdeparting from the principle involved, because, as above stated, thedevice is capable of adaptation to valves, cocks, shut-offs, and otherstructures as well as to electric switches. Such changes as may be foundnecessary I desire it understod are contemplated as coming within thescope of my invention as expressed in the appended claims.

lVhat I claim as new is 1. Means for operating an element to becontrolled, comprising an arm pivotally mounted at one end andoperatively connected to said element, a member supporting the movableportion of said arm and adapted to release said arm to initially movethe element, and a second member ada ted to receive and support said arma ter its release from the first-mentioned member,

whereby the releasing of said arm from the second member permits thesame to gravitate and further move the element.

2. An actuating device comprising a clock-work includin an alarm springwinding spindle, and a mlnute-hand spindle, both splndles extendedoutside the casing of the clock-work, said spindles having threads upontheir outer portions and positioned in different horizontal planes, incombination with an element to be operated, and an arm pivoted at oneend and having its free end extended across the threaded ends of saidspindles, whereby the rotation of said spindles permits said arm to bemoved from the upper to the lower spindle and remain thereon apredetermined period.

3. The combination with a snap-switch and a rotatable spindle operatingthe same, of means for actuating said spindle comprising. an armsuitably connected at one end to said spindle, a rotatable threadedelement supporting the outer portion of said arm which latter is adaptedto be released therefrom upon the rotation of said element whereby saidswitch is closed, and a second rotatable threaded element adapted toreceive the arm from the first-mentioned threaded element and releasethe same after a predetermined rotation whereby the final release ofsaid arm opens said switch.

4. The combination with a snap-switch and an operating spindle therefor,of means for actuating said spindle comprising an arm connected at oneend to said spindle, and a plurality of rotatable threaded elementsdisposed in planes below each other and in the normal path of movementof said arm whereby the releasing of the arm from one element closes theswitch during a predetermined period and the releasing of the arm fromthe next element opens the switch at the end of the predeterminedperiod.

5. The combination with a snap-switch and an operating spindle therefor,of means for actuating said spindle comprising an arm connected at oneend to said spindle, a threaded element upon which the movable portionof said arm is supported prior to the closing of said switch, and asecond threaded element upon which the movable portion of said arm 1ssupported after being released from said first-mentioned threadedelement, whereby the rotation of said first element releases the arm toclose the switch and the rotation of the second element releases the armto open the switch.

6. Means for operating an element to be controlled comprising an armpivotally mounted at one end and operatively connected to said element,a member supporting the movable portion of said arm and adapted torelease said arm to initially move the element, a second member adaptedto receive said arm after its release from the firstmentioned member andretain the same during a predetermined period, and means for limitingthe period said arm is retained by said second member.

7. A controlling device comprising a clockwork includin two rotatablespindles positioned in dlfferent planes and having threaded portions, incombination with an element to be controlled, a pivoted arm operativelyconnected to said element and having its tree portion extended acrossthe threaded portion of said spindles, whereby the rotation of saidspindles permits said arm to be moved from one to the other of saidspindles to initially operate said element and to remain in suchposition during a predetermined period, and means for limlting saidpredetermined period.

8. A control device comprising a swinging arm and a plurality ofthreaded rotatable stops therefor, said arm cooperating with the threadsof said stops whereby the rotation of said stops will successivelydisengage the arm from the respective stops.

9. A control device comprising a swinging arm, a rotatable stoppositioned in the path of movement of said arm, and means for regulatingthe position at which said sto receives said arm.

igned at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, this 8th day ofJuly, 1920.

ALEXANDER S. GREENWOOD.

Witnesses:

E. K. LUNDY, J r., J. H. JooHUM, Jr.

